1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wheel conveyor for continuously conveying articles to be conveyed. In detail, the invention relates to a wheel conveyor formed by arranging a plurality of small wheels capable of conveying small objects to be conveyed into a plurality of lines to assemble a conveyor.
2. Description of the Background Art
A wheel conveyor formed by assembling a plurality of small wheels into a plurality of lines is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3002403 (related art 1). Related art 1 has a structure described as “a conveyor provided with a wheel unit comprising a double sided conveyor frame provided with groove sections running in a longitudinal direction, a plurality of transverse members connected between the double sided conveyor frame and capable of slidable engagement with end sections of these groove sections of the double sided conveyor frame, wheels provided in a plurality of lines between the double sided conveyor frame, having a roller section and a shaft section projecting from both ends of this roller section, and a wheel frame, formed in an elongated shape, formed with a plurality of wheel holding indents in which each of these wheels is rotatably fitted, formed with bearing grooves for rotatably supporting shaft sections of the wheels in edge sections of each of the wheel holding indents, and a plurality of engagement sections for engaging with the transverse members”.
Generally, in the case of conveying small articles to be conveyed using a conveyor, there is a problem with a roller conveyor in that it is easy for the articles to be conveyed to drop down between the rollers.
The wheel unit of related art 1 has a fixed wheel holding section structure, and has a problem in that a fixed space must be attained for conveyance and safekeeping.
Also, the wheel unit of related art 1 has a problem that since wheel shaft sections are only engaged with bearing grooves from above, it is easy for them to come away upwards.
Further, the “plurality of transverse members connected between the double sided conveyor frame and capable of slidable engagement with end sections of these groove sections of the double sided conveyor frame” have “engagement sections of the wheel frame” attached above, but are fixed in position by an operation such as bolt fastening “rod shaped transverse members” positioned at bolt holes provided in the double sided conveyor frame in order to fix at positions coinciding with intervals between these engagement sections, one at a time from a frame outer side, and so there is a problem with respect to the time taken in an assembly operation.
Similarly, in the case of dismantling the wheel conveyor of related art 1 also, dismantling is not possible unless an operation to remove the bolts of the plurality of “rod-shaped transverse members” is carried out, and so there is a problem that operation becomes troublesome.
In the event that it is desired to install the wheel conveyor in an inclined manner, it is necessary to increase height by having some sort of member at end sections of side section frames.